BF38
Of circular form, with a diamond-pattern border in underglaze blue around the rim and central roundel, the white incised ground over-painted with Dutch decoration depicting a Commedia dell'Arte scene of three figures in a garden by a stream; a seated woman in a bright yellow skirt supports in her lap a reclining red-headed man in a purple overcoat, while another man in a black feathered cap and cape stands behind bushes, accompanied by a brown dog, the base glazed, the outer rim with three stylised branches in iron red.
Literature
Commedia dell'Arte was a form of theatre that originated in Italy and became popular in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. It is characterised by masked exaggerated social 'types', who gave improvised performances based on sketches. The characters depicted here appear to be the 'know-it-all' doctor, Il Dottore, who is always shown clothed entirely in black, and Flavio and Isabella, or 'Innamorati', the young couple besotted with each other, who must overcome a series of obstacles before they can be united at the end of the play.
